What Couples Do
by HettyBobcat
Summary: It's almost Double-D and Eddy's one month anniversary but so far they've not acted very much like a couple at all. (Very short, cute story I wrote quite a while ago. Edd/Eddy, nothing smutty or anything. Just fluff.)


Thirty days. A mere smidgen over four weeks and a hair's breadth shy of the full month. If someone were calculating something, say an anniversary of sorts, how would one determine exactly what day to celebrate the anniversary of a full month? Would it be the exact calendar date or would it be precisely 28 days? Or even still, might it be 30 or 31 days, depending on which amount the month had? It was all so confusing. So confusing, in fact, that Edd chose to skip his lunch hour and hide out in the library.

Was there a significance to a one month anniversary? Was it to celebrate the mile-marker of making it through that point or was it merely the eagerness of one or both in a couple to have _something_ to celebrate?

Edd had his head buried in a book he wasn't reading so he wouldn't look suspicious sitting there by himself. He sulked and considered that maybe he didn't even have anything to celebrate. Somehow managing to occupy both realms, of being exceedingly logical and tenderly emotional, he pouted over the confusing nature of his fledgling relationship.

Real couples embraced and held hands. Real couples went on dates and kissed good night. Real couples celebrated a one month anniversary. The lack of all these things really wasn't so surprising, though. Disappointing, yes. Surprising, no. It had been a long and gradual confessionary stage. In the end, Eddy had released him from his torment with a shrug and an admission of having suspected as much all along. Eddy had told him he liked the idea of having someone so 'head-over-heels' for him. He'd said they should give it a try.

Things had gone somewhat back to normal. They continued to do things exclusively as a trio. Edd would see a flicker of interest here and there to which he'd blush, open his mouth to say something, but by then, the moment would have passed. He felt the desire to cling to Eddy's arm as they walked or to call him on the phone at night. He wanted to sit closer to him, lean against him. He never did. There was never an opening, never a sign that sort of thing was welcome.

Double-D crossed his arms on the table and laid his face snuggly in the crevice. If he was just a little more confident, he would get Eddy a one month anniversary gift. It might help break the ice and move things forward. Maybe Eddy just needed to know that Edd considered this a real relationship and not merely a social experiment. But he couldn't and he knew it. He feared rejection so much that even though he knew that Eddy knew how he felt for him, it didn't make expressing that emotion any easier.

The bell rang one sharp, loud ding. Double-D rose up and heaved a heavy breath, gathering his satchel and heading for his next class.

Eddy and Ed strolled into class just a second before the next bell. Their conversation tapered as they split to their seats on either side of Edd.

"Hey," Eddy said, leaning over in his chair toward Double-D. "Where were you?"

"Oh, just catching up on some studies. I suppose I let time get away from me," he replied in a hushed tone.

"I saved you a cheese sandwich!" Ed added, leaning in as well, holding up a soggy, gravy-soaked sandwich daintily in his fingers. Double-D swallowed uneasily, involuntarily retreating back from the sandwich as he uttered a polite thank you. Ed didn't wait for Double-D to take the offering. He simply splatted it on his buddy's desk-top, then commenced to licking the gravy drippings from his fingers.

"Hey, get that outta here," Eddy said, trying to look stern but failing as he bit back a chuckle and knocked the soggy bread onto the floor. "There ya go." He gave a curt, assuring nod before settling back into his seat. Double-D tried to force an appreciative smile through his disgust. Having nothing to clean the meat-dripping-sauce from his desk, he could only close his eyes and tip his head up and try to ignore the aroma as the teacher began his lecture.

The joyous atmosphere of school was marred by Edd's heavy thoughts, so when the final bell at last rang, Edd was uncharacteristically relieved. As usual, Eddy and Ed dashed out of class and to their lockers like sprinters starting a race. Double-D walked at his usual pace and felt comforted that Ed and Eddy had waited for him even after closing up their lockers. Double-D rotated his combination lock slowly, stowed his un-needed articles and replaced them in his satchel with other texts.

"Hurry up, grandpa! I'm itchin' to get outta this dump and do somethin' fun!" Eddy adjusted his back pack comfortably on his shoulders and looked simultaneously eager and annoyed.

"I'm going to put together an alien model kit I got in the mail yesterday. Wanna come over?" Ed asked excitedly, wringing his hands. Eddy looked off to the side as if he was considering it.

"Nah. That sounds like dulls-ville. Why don't we do something else? We could go to a movie." He turned and nudged Edd in the ribs lightly with his elbow. "How's that sound, Sock-head? Wanna go to a movie?"

Edd looked back and forth between his friends. He didn't actually want to go out as a threesome to see a movie. What he really wanted was some time with just Eddy and himself. He wanted to talk. He nodded anyway. "Alright. A movie sounds nice."

"I want to see Other-Verse! I heard the 3-D is so real you can almost feel the slime splatter!" Ed exclaimed as he darted out the door – his two friends walking briskly behind.

As the boys were nearing their street Edd spoke up. "I think we should check and see what time the movie starts. I'd hate to get there much early and have to wait around. Or worse, get there once it's started already and wasting a trip. Ed, why don't you go do that. Can you go call the theatre and find out what time it starts?"

"Roger Wilco!" Ed saluted and galloped to his house.

"I'm gonna go put my backpack in my room," Eddy announced and headed in that direction. Double-D followed all the way to Eddy's door and stopped. "You comin'?"

Slightly surprised, Double-D sputtered for a second before nodding, accepting the invitation. He stood awkwardly near the door, twiddling his fingers as Eddy tossed his backpack in the corner and leaned on his dresser, peering at himself. He wet a finger and rubbed it over his eyebrows and checked his teeth. His visage only held his attention for so long before Double-D's radiating discomfort caused him to turn. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Unconsciously, Double-D grabbed his hat, pulling the sides down over his ears nervously. He blushed a little, even as he tried to control his nervousness.

"E-e-Eddy. I need to talk with you."

Eddy cocked an eyebrow and gave him a look over before taking a seat on his bed. Double-D stepped forward a little. The closer to Eddy he drew the harder his heart was pounding until he was feeling quite light-headed.

"I… I don't particularly want to go to the movies tonight Eddy." He had a sort of fear in his voice.

"What? Why? You said you did like twenty minutes ago."

"It's just that," Double-D paused and closed his eyes. He could feel sweat run down his temple. His tongue started to feel numb and he wasn't sure how clearly he'd be able to enunciate if this panic continued. "I wanted to talk to you about something…"

"Yeah, you said that. What about?" Eddy was feeling impatient because he had no idea where this was going. Double-D took a seat on the bed as his legs were getting closer and closer to useless.

He took a deep breath before opening his glassy eyes and pouting exaggeratedly. "Do you even remember what we talked about a month ago?" He heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn't thought he'd be able to get even that much out. But he had and hopefully Eddy would understand.

Eddy just screwed up his face, a clear indicator that such a hint was far too vague. Double-D frowned again. Edd put out his hands in an almost plaintive gesture. "Eddy, far be it from me to create and carry on some insipid adolescent drama but, I couldn't help but be confused by the dichotomy between your words and behavior." His breathing continued to increase and he struggled vainly to keep his head clear.

Eddy placed a hand to his chin, stroking the barely-there stubble he'd only started acquiring of late, and tried to look as though he understood everything Double-D just said to him.

"I don't want to jump to any conclusions for fear of being woefully in the wrong but, weren't we going to try to … I just wanted maybe…" He put a crooked hand to his forehead a bit dramatically. "I think I'm going to pass out," he informed as he dropped backward on the bed. Eddy looked down at him unimpressed.

"Look, Hamlet. Ed's gonna be here soon so ya goin' to the movies or not?" He slapped Edd lightly on the face to bring him around. Double-D opened his eyes and stared up blankly.

"Before I go on and embarrass myself further, I'd like to know how you would classify our relationship with one another."

"What'dya mean? Like, are we friends or not?"

"Is that all? Do you mean to say 'just friends'?"

"No. Ya mean like that we're dating?"

"But that's just it, Eddy," Double-D sat up. "We're not 'dating' because we never go on dates."

"What? I asked you not thirty minutes ago if you wanted to go to the movies! I don't know about you, but getting' asked to the movies sounds like a date to me!"

"But Ed will be with us." Double-D pouted.

"So? We can't go off doing stuff and leave Ed out of it!"

"I know. I know. I don't want to exclude Ed! He's our very dear friend. I just meant that … Oh goodness I'm not entirely sure what I'm getting at. I'd just like to know if you had any desire to spend some one-on-one time with just me now and then. That's all. Even something just as simple as sitting here in your room, just the two of us, could be rather nice."

"And do what, exactly?" Eddy looked dully expectant.

"I don't know. But, tomorrow marks our one month anniversary as a couple and quite honestly, we've not behaved at all like a couple."

Eddy's mind was working, slowly piecing together everything Double-D had been talking about and figured he'd come to realize what Edd was getting at.

"So you're wanting to do stuff like kiss," he said surprisingly matter-of-factly. Double-D looked shot, eyes wide with pin-point pupils. He started hyperventilating again and remarkably, Edd's panicked reaction seemed to lend Eddy quite a bit of confidence. "Well, we still got a few minutes," he said, pretending to look at his watch. "Come on. Lay one on me," he pointed to his face and grinned.

By now, Double-D felt himself start to swoon. He'd gotten that dizzy tunnel vision of one whose blood pressure had dropped below safe levels. His skin was ghostly pale except for his blazing cheeks which shown all the redder. Eddy found it completely amusing.

"C'mon Sock-head. I thought you wanted to make-out," he joked, chuckling even as Edd dropped back on the bed. Eddy was fairly certain that Edd had honestly passed out for real this time, but he found it humorous nonetheless. "Well, better give the guy what he wants," he said.

Double-D came around to an obstructed field of vision. His blurry sight cleared but not before he felt his nerve-endings ignite with the delicate touch to his mouth. Eddy pulled back and grinned, all debonair and confident. "Hey, I'm Prince Charming," he said with a soft, rumbling chuckle and all Edd wanted to do was just reach his hands up and pull the boy back down onto him again but he could only tangle them together against his own chest.

It had been the most pleasurable thing Edd had ever experienced and he hated that he was passed out for part of it. Was that all there was? He licked his lips and must have looked wanting. "Again?" Eddy asked and Edd silently nodded. This time Edd was able to kiss back. It was a surprising sensation and even Eddy had to admit, he didn't expect it to feel so good.

Double-D's hands at last managed to find their way up to Eddy's cheeks, adding to the gentle contact and increasing the gratification for both. Their soft, chaste lips increased the pace and passion until they both boldly were sliding their tongues across one another's noisily.

"I'll call Ed and tell him we'll just wait and go to the movies tomorrow," Eddy said, panting slightly.

"But tomorrow is …," Double-D started to point out from beneath him.

"You're right. Hmm. I'll tell him we'll wait and go day after tomorrow. You and I got an anniversary to celebrate." He kissed Edd again. "Heck. I don't even know. We might just be busy the rest of the week." Double-D giggled before attaching himself to Eddy's mouth again. Now this was the kind of thing that couples did.


End file.
